Managing Change

Change is a day-to-day reality for organisations. In order to succeed they have to be able to adapt. But there’s no single model of change and no single solution to managing it effectively. Many kinds of organisational change occur, for example, culture change, restructuring, reorganising, each of which may mean something different to different people and in different organisational contexts.

The Kubler-Ross Change Curve

This process was developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross on the basis of her work with people undergoing change. It identifies the typical stages that people go through in response to change. To manage the process effectively it is essential that managers can first identify the stage that their team is at and then adopt appropriate strategies.

Stage 1 – ShockShock and surprise to the event or announcement.

Stage 2 – DenialDenial of the change and finding ways to convince yourself and others that it isn’t really happening.

Stage 3– FrustrationOn the way down and experiencing anger and frustration. Often accompanied by a tendency to blame others and lash out. No acceptance of the change yet.

Stage 5– ExperimentationThis is where people who haven’t given up entirely and opted out of the process, start to experiment with the new situation and try new things out.

Stage 6– DecisionsDeciding what works and what doesn’t. Coming to terms with what’s happened and beginning to feel more optimistic and positive.

Stage 7 – IntegrationIntegrating the changes into life so it becomes part of the way things are now done.

The 21st century manager has a range of roles, each important, each different and often competing, understanding those roles and balancing their demands is the key to success in the modern workplace. For more information on managing effectively and developing the skills to have a clear view of the responsibilities and requirements of a management role and a sound understanding of how your behaviour can set the tone and pace for your team why not attend our Fundamentals of Management course.